Hi everyone! New chapter, yay! Just realised that this chapter is exactly ten times as long as my first one.Great piece of useless info for you. Thanks Stacy for the review and Lycan Lover (yes you, abigail!). Not my best chapter, we're back onto the boring bits again, but it gets better soon i promise. Only one more day til Petra leaves! But if u happen to like it plz review!
Petra briskly walked down to her father's office, keeping herself together. Of all the times to get emotional... She quickly enough reached her destination, and almost fell to the floor in fear. She couldn't do this, she couldn't do this. But after some oxygen reached her brain she began to think a little more clearly. She could and will do this, she had promised her mother that she would. So she knocked, her insides taking a little twist at the sound of the knock. Before her hand could get back to her side, a voice came from though the wall.
"Enter." She took a deep breath, and opened the door, inside there was her father, just her father. He was sat at his desk with paper blanketing it. He looked up to see her waiting at the door. He beckoned her in with a smile and asked her to sit down on the black leather sofa that was beside his desk.
"You asked to see me father?" She asked timidly, her heart racing with anticipation. How was she going to pull this off?
"Yes, I did Petra. I have good news for you." He spoke with a slight touch of anxiety, probably as to how she was going to take it. He stayed seated in his chair behind his desk, his eyes not meeting hers, but meeting the paper that was closest.
"Good news, master?" She stuttered. It was then that he actually looked at her, he put the quill down and walked over to face her. He gulped some air through his dead lungs, then continued.
"You remember the source from yesterday?" He inquired, then she nodded. "Well, for the past few decades he has been in search of a wife, being the source he is in need of companionship. He visited here yesterday in search of a woman, and he found-"
"Me." She whispered, trying to keep the sorrow out of her voice, and hiding her eyes. Dracula nodded, but carefully sat down next to her, reading her emotions.
"You are not content, Petra?" He asked, she thought about answering with something like, Of course I'm fine father. What on earth would make you see otherwise? But thought better of it and sighed, took in a large amount of breath to calm herself, then answered.
"Of course father, just a little shocked. That's all." She replied, hoping it would be enough of an excuse to lay off her for a while. He seemed surprised at her response.
"Oh, of course. Would you like to leave you alone for a while? Or would you like me to fetch your mother? Of course she already knows-" But she spoke over him.
"When am I to be m-m...," It took her a while to get the word out. "married?" He seemed to pleased with the question, but she didn't say anything.
"Well, I'm unsure of the exact date, but he is coming to take you to his home tommorow." She suddered, so little time to say goodbye, in two days she would be whisked away to somewhere she didn't even know, by a man she'd met once and was now betrothed to. He noticed that she didn't reply in any way, and walked out to fetch her mother. But before he could get her, her brother came in. She saw the pain in his eyes, and her insides ripped a little bit more, she got up and hugged him. Normally he would push her away when he was annoyed, but this time he complied, holding onto her tightly, as if he was never going to let her go. She went to step away, but he held onto her shoulders so she couldn't leave completely.
"I guess you're going then?" She could see tears welling up in his eyes, and the strain that was in his voice as he spoke.
"Yes, i am." She could feel how disgusted he was that she wasn't fighting. It was killing her.
"Look, Vladimir, I didn't have a choice! You know how father is with these things!" He snorted.
"That's your excuse? Your his favourite for God's sake! If anyone can change his mind it's you and yet you just give up before even trying!" He ranted. He kept his tight grip on her shoulders, not realising that she couldn't feel her arms properly anymore.
"Just because I'm his favourite doesn't mean he doesn't expect me to stay to the rules. As mother said, we have to live up to our expectations. If we don't we'll end up disinherited or something. That's probably the next step for Adriana!" She tried to loosen his grip, but he didn't budge. She could see his sadness fueling his anger. Much more and she was sure he was going to snap. She calmed herself, then tried to think of a way to calm Vladimir, he was in such a state that she didn't know what he would do.
"Please, Vladimir. Don't do this. You know as well as I do that we can do nothing to sway father's mind." She spoke quietly, her voice trembling, but still firm.
"Then speak to your fiancee," he spat " I reckon if you annoy him enough then he will happily hand you back." His acidic words burning through her skin.
"You know I can't do that, now Vladimir please let go of my arms, I can't feel them." She pleaded. He didn't seem that much calmer but let her go, she stepped back to a safe distance away, still not secure about their proximity. But it seemed that he hadn't finished.
"Why can't you do it, Petra? Why??" He stepped towards her, while she inched back, aware that there wasn't much space left until she reched the wall.
"Because he wouldn't just divorce me, Vlad. He'd discrace me! Me and you and mother... We would never hear the end of it. And father had just rebuilt his name, I couldn't see him get exiled on my behalf, I couldn't do it!" While she retaliated to Vladimir's questions she was aware that she was now becoming hysterical. She could see out of the corner of her eye that her father's glass of blood was boiling, about to fall over the brim of the glass when she took control. She wouldn't let her powers out in her frustration. Vladimir, seemed to be silenced by her answer. She feared he would come out with some other question that would finally tip her too far. But before his brain could come up with another one their parents came bursting in, her mother first, walking past Valdimir straight to Petra about to hug her when she stopped.
"Dear, what on earth happend to your arms?" Petra almost ratted Vladimir in for hurting her so much, but saw that the pain still overrulled the anger in his eyes, making her come up with something else.
"Oh it's nothing mother, don't worry. I was just being clumsy, slipping from the ceiling." Her eyes indicated to the high ceiling, many feet above them. She looked to see her brother smirk, and the next thing she knew he was talking to her in her mind.
You slipped from the ceiling and managed to hit both your arms and nothing else? Impressive, Petra. Or should I call you your majesty now? She stared blankly at him, amazed at how he was talking to her.
Oh shut up, Vlad! It's all good and well you telling me now about how terrible my excuse was, but I didn't see you helping me before. And plus it was you that hurt my arms in the first place. And for that, yes, you can call me your majesty, and whenever you see me you may only speak when spoken to, so there! She screamed inside her head, making Vladimir's ears hurt. Verona saw her look and turned to her son, trying to understand what was going on, but by the time she'd turned round Vladimir's face had been wiped blank, nothing to see in his eyes except curiosity as to why she was staring at him. She quietly huffed. But Dracula spoke before she could interrogate them both.
"Vladimir, I thought you were in the music hall?" he questioned, but Vladimir was exceptionally good at retaliating, beacuse he could read their minds to see what kind of response would have the best outcome.
"I was father, but when I heard a noise coming from this room I rushed in to check what was going on." Petra's face turned sour, trust him to make it sound like he was the hero...
"I found Petra on the floor, badly bruised and shaken after her fall." His face and voice looked and sounded so sincere it was impossible to doubt him. Their father nodded, trusting them, but knowing something else was up as well.
"If you wouldn't mind," Vladimir continued, "I would like to go back to my music. Now that Petra is safe and healing with you I see no reason for me to stay." Dracula nodded, then Vladimir left, whispering in his head,
Goodbye your majesty, I would bow but I think it may cause suspicion. Do I have your permission to leave without bowing? Petra seemed ready to explode again, but suddenly it turned to laughter in her head.
Yes, I give you my permission, servant, but I did ask you only to speak when spoken to. Breaking the rules already, tut tut. I could have you cropped at the neck for that. She suddenly realised what she had said had hurt him and tried to say something but he blocked her out of his head, he didn't want to hear it any more. Petra felt physically sick at the thought of him hating her for eternity. She would have to find a way to speak to him alone which did not include him almost pulling her arms off. He left briskly and she could hear him wandering towards the music hall, stop at the door, then enter it. Dracula turned to Petra and Verona once he was sure that Vladimir had left, so that there were no more disruptions.
"Petra, if you are feeling a little less overwhelmed now, might I be so bold as to ask for your assistance in a very delicate case?" She was surprised at how nice he was about it, surely if it was about her and her m...marriage he wouldn't keep himself so calm.
"Of course, father. What can I do?" She replied, she knew better than to reply otherwise.
"You recall how you brought Anna into the castle?" Petra grit her teeth, Oh she remembered the Valerious alright. She remebered how her mother had told her that he was intended to make her a bride, and how her brother had told her about her pregnancy. As if she could forget sweet little Anna. She was regretting finding her more and more every day. If she hadn't done it she wouldn't be engaged to the source, her brother would still be her friend and her father would not be trying to replace her mother for the third time! She refrained from clenching her fists, knowing it would give her away. Her mother nudged her to answer, reaslising she had been standing there for a few seconds in silence.
"Yes, father. I do. Is she ok?" she asked with fake care. She wasn't really bothered about the cow anymore. She must've worked out why she was here, and the master had told Petra many times about her escapes in past captures. And yet this time she didn't even bother, almost as if she wanted to stay. Dracula's voice brought her back to from her daydream to his office.
"That's what I came to talk to you about. I guess that you already know that she is with child, yes?" She nodded, but what she also knew was that he was the father, it didn't take a genius to realise. But whether her ather knew that she knew was a different story. "Well, I would like her to be examined, to see that both her and the child are in good health. Your mother and Marishka have already consented, but I would like it if you helped aswell. Your powers may also come in handy." She began to feel sick again. Help her? After all she'd done to this family? Then again, it's not the baby's fault and they are related. Eventually she agreed, and her father lead both her and her mother to Anna's room. Petrajust hoped it would be a quick task, she wanted to spend her last day at her home with her mother, not looking after some pregnant wife-to-be...
--X--
Van Helsing finally finished burying Carl, it hadn't been an easy task. His heart was torn to pieces as it was, it didn't need anything else to harm it. He walked away from his old friend and companion, trying despreately to think only about Anna. He figured that Dracula would've turned her by now, but if he hadn't, he could steal her back. But to do that he needed a plan. He knew where they were, and he knew how to get there. But he also knew that Castle Dracula was a fortress and he would most likely get caught before he could do anything. But her needed to think of something fast. Anna's life was at stake. He knew full well that the odds were stacked against him that her heart was still beating, but he couldn't think of the alternative. It tore the rest of his organs apart from the inside out. He was going to find her, he promised himself, and he was going to find her alive!
--X--
Anna was relieved to find that the 'examination' took just under ten minutes. She had expected it to be much longer and grueling. It was also nice to see that Aleera nor her issue were nowhere near her or her baby. She knew Verona would listen to anything that her husband told her, and she had had to experience being put to one side twice, so it must'nt have been much trouble for her. Marishka seemed quite calm too, following Verona's lead, they both checked up on her while another girl, obviously Verona's daughter with her long, silky black hair falling just below her shoulders, sat and kept her calm. They spoke of nothing of great importance, merely their taste for music and clothing. At first, the girl, Petra was her name, seemed rather distant and cold, being forced to help. But as the minutes went on, they seemed to warm to each other, trust each other more.
The brides had just finished examining her, she was about to ask how her baby was, but they beat her to it.
"Your baby is fine, Anna. It seems to be completely healthy, but it's quite large for how many months gone." Anna's heart fell through the floor.
"What does that mean? What's wrong? What did I do?" She ranted, she tried to sit up on the bed, but Petra held her back, forcing a cold flannel on her head to calm her. Verona continued.
"Nothing is wrong, Anna. I simply mean that it is more developed than a normal baby of this time. An easy way to solve the problem would be to give birth early. There are many potions that will help you." Anna began to breathe again as she felt the inside of her twist and turn, it was almost nauseating, but her relief overpowered it. They were fine, nothing was wrong. She and her baby were going to be fine...
"We should leave her to sleep for a while, the master will come see her when she is ready." She heard Marishka say. Despite Petra's firm hold on her Anna bolted upright, feeling the strain she'd caused her body a few seconds later. Verona gave her a confused look.
"Would you prefer me to get the master now, Anna?"
"No, no. I hate to ask but, could Petra stay with me. Just, for a little while?" Verona's face looked even more confused.
"I don't know. Petra had business to attend to." Verona's face looked calm, but her voice was stern. "I think it would be better for someone else to stay with you if you want company." But Petra shook her head.
"It's ok, mother, I'll stay." The confusion on Verona's face tuned to amazement at her daughter's refusal. Anna assumed that she always stayed within the lines.
"But, Petra, you have more important things to-"
"Just until she gets to sleep. It won't be long. Then I can start on my important business." Verona still seemed adamant that she should leave, but Petra stood her ground, and eventually won.
"Very well. You may stay until she falls asleep Petra. Then I want you downstairs immediately, understood?" Petra nodded. Then Verona turned to Anna.
"In the morning the master will be here to see you. There are new clothes for you in the wardrobe if you wish to change." Anna nodded, then Verona left the room without a sound, Marishka took her lead and followed on. Anna felt immediately more relaxed with the brides gone, and fell back to lie down again.
"I'm sorry if I got you into trouble there, Petra. I didn't mean to. It's just that I have only really spent time either on my own or with Dracula. It's quite lonely here." She confessed. Petra chuckled.
"Don't worry about it. I'm quite glad you asked really, being here postpones me from doing other things." Anna didn't mean to pry, but she couldn't help herself.
"What kind of things?" Petra's eyes widened, then she looked at the floor for a few seconds. Anna immediately knew she hdn't wanted to talk about it. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. It's just-" As soon as she starte talking Petra tried to calm her down.
"Anna, Anna it's ok! I don't mind. It's just, not very pleasant, that's all." Anna waited for her to continue, getting comfy. She had a feeling this was going to be a long story...
--X--
Dracula sat in his office, trying to work out what on earth had gone on earlier. It was obvious that Petra hadn't fallen. Besides the fact that she couldn't fall on both arms and nowhere else she was also the least clumsy out of everyone. It was also obvious that it had something to do with Vladimir. But it still didn't make sense. Vladimir had never laid a finger on Petra, and if he wanted to live he never would do. At that thougt a knock came at the door.
"Enter." A few moments later his bride Verona came in. She walked gracefully through the office to where Dracula sat. He pointed at the sofa, and she sat."
"Is everything ok?" he asked. She immediately nodded.
"Eveything's fine. The baby is quite developed for how old it is though, so I would suggest a potion or something." Dracula thought hard, and decided it would do no harm.
"Very well. When?"
"About a week, maybe two?" This very much pleased him, when she first came he thought he was going to have to wait for months before he could turn her. Now it was a week or two at the most. But he couldn't jump at the first chance. He wanted them to both be healthy.
"Two, just in case." Verona nodded, and stood up, walking over to the front of his desk.
"If I may master, may I talk to you about something else of great importance?" He nodded, but didn't look at her. He couldn't think of anything of similar importance and so started on his papers. "About, Petra?" Then his head snapped up to look at her.
"What's wrong? Is she ok?" His thoughts quickly got back to Vladimir, the only child of his who had the cheek to lie to him. If he'd hurt her...
"No, she's fine." He calmed down a little, but it didn't keep his mind off Vladimir. He would have to find a way to keep an eye on him.
"But we examined Anna, and Petra sat with her to calm her. It seemed that they were very trusting of each other. Especially after such a short time." Dracula furrowed his brow
"And your point? Really, Verona. I see no proble-"
"And she chose to stay there instead of soming back down." This very much surprised Dracula, but didn't annoy him. He understood finally where Verona was coming from. But it wouldn't be long befor ehe could go up and take her place, making her free do pack for leaving.
"Don't worry Verona. I'll sort it. I will only be down here for another twenty minutes at the most. I had hoped to have a chat with Valdimir, but it can wait." More time to come with a way to watch him, Dracula thought. "Then I shall sway places with Petra, and you can have her back." At this Verona smiled, and thanked him. She bowed and turned to leave, but suddely an epiphany came into his head about Vladimir. He called Verona back.
"Now that Petra is getting married, how would you feel about Vladimir?"
--X--
Adelina was sitting with her sister Adriana in the music room when their brother Vladimir came burstng through the doors, obviously frustrated. The sisters looked twords each other and decided to let him be. They knew how stupid it was to annoy the master and their brother Vald was just the younger version. Her blunde haired sister placed down the violin and walked out of the room, not looking back. Adriana went to follow but Vladimir grabbed her by the arm, his eyes pitch black, an endless tunnel. She tried to pull away, but he held her wrist tight, she could feel the blood stopping in her arm, never getting to her hand.
"Let me go, Valdimir! You needn't take out your anger on me!" She spat. She was surprised that her sister hadn't come back to see what was holding her up.
"You'd be just as angry if you knew what I knew!" This made her curious, what was she missing?
"What is it? Is something wrong with father?" She asked, immediately concerned.
"Oh, father's fine! It's just his future wife upstairs that's a bit of a problem!" Adelina gasped. No, it couldn't be. He woudn't do that to them!
"You know full well he would, Addy, and he is. He's only waiting for her to give birth to his baby, then he's going to chage her!"
"So he was with her before? Before my mother died?!" She asked. He nodded, letting go of her arms, knowing there was no holding her back anymore. She could hear outside the thunder crashing through the sky, the lightning lighting up the room, but she didn't care that her powers were out of hand. She was going to sort out her father. She stormed out of the room, leaving Vladimir in the music hall, smirking to himself.
--X--
Dracula was just about to leave his office for Anna's room when a loud banging on the door blasted through his eardrums. He thought it might be Vladimir, but when he allowed the person to enter, it turned out to be Adriana. He could almost see the anger and hatred coarsing through her veins, and he thought he knew why.
"Adelina, my dear, what's wrong?" She didn't seem in the mood for idle chit-chat, but he tried to avert her anger in any case.
"Do pardon me, father. But may I know why we are looking after the Valerious? If we kill her it would be so much easier totake care of Van Helsing." Damn, he thought. He would have to word this carefully, otherwise he knew of the consequences. He turned himself, and walked over to the window, looking at the falling rain, the thunder echoing though the forest.
"It is nothing for you to worry about, Adriana. All you need to know is that I intend to let her live." He spoke in a calm voice, but his fists were clenched. Any tighter and bloor would've been spouting out of his veins, but he had to stay in control...
"But why must you let her live, father. Was it not my mother's wish for her to be brought down along withVan Helsing?" They both began to shake, Adelina out of frustration, her father out of anger.
"Not, now, Adelina." She snorted, and walked closer to him, showing no fear.
"Then when? When will you want to know? When she has given birth, regained her strength and starts coming for us? When she finds Van Helsing and they hunt us down together, or when that bastard child of her's is old enough to get us by itself?!" Dracula couldn't hold back any longer, he snapped. He turned around, snarling. At once Adelina could finally see why she should be scared. But it was too late. She saw his whole arm collide with her chest, sending her flying into the farthest wall, her bones breaking on impact. He gasped for air, what had he just done? But his anger was still taking over his common sense and kindness, he knew he needed to go somewhere to calm him down before he hurt anyone else. But where...
He couldn't think clearly enough in the room, so he turned to leave, only for Petra to come bursting in. She ran up to him, out of breath.
"Father, what happened? I heard a loud bang, then another, I'm sure it came from-" She stopped dead, she saw her sister lying broken on the floor and rushed over to her. Dracula was now completely and utterly stuck. How the hell was he going to get out of this one without two of his daughters hating him? "Father, what happened to her? How did she get hurt so badly?" She tried to lay Adelina out flat on the floor so that her bones would click into shape again properly. They were already doing so, but it would take a few minutes for her to completely heal.
"Petra, what are you doing down here? I thought you were with Anna? And surely you wouldn't have heard anything coming from this room up there?" Petra's face of horror and utter disgust made it obvious that she knew, but she still answered.
"She fell asleep, mother said I had to come straight down here to help her pack my things, I was coming down the last flight of stairs when I heard the two bangs, one closely following the other." She stopped and turned back to Adelina, who had by now almost finished healing. She sat her up and held her in a sitting position, waiting for her to come to. Dracula knew this wasn't going to go well.
When Adelina woke she looked up at her sister, a look of fear and gratitude on her face.
"What happened to you?" Petra asked, Adelina turned her gaze to her father. Dracula scowled at her, brought out his fangs, making her whimper. Then looked at Petra, but the look of sheer diapointmentin her face immediately made him stop. But he had no idea what to say, and left.
--X--
Petra didn't move from her position, she was too shocked at what she had just witnessed. Her father would never have done such harm to his own flesh and blood, would he? Of course he grew tired of Adriana every once in a while, but never had he laid a hand on any of them. Her thoughts were brought back to the office when she felt her beaten sisten stand.
"Where are you going?" She asked, with a frightened look on her face. It would have been plain nadness to try to confron their father again, but Adelina's mother was known for the extremes she had went to to get what she wanted. But that was not the case Instead she said,
"Away from here!" She walked out of the office, but did it quickly, so she wouldn't come into contact with her fatheragain. Petra stood up quickly and ran after her. Adelina was running no too, so she couldn't catch up. Soon they were both at their speed limit, Petra shouting at her to slow down.
"Addy, please! Don't do this, please don't go!" Petra was the faster, and finally gained on Adelina, grabbing her hand so she couldn't carry on running. Adelina tried to make her let go, but she held her hand tightly, like an iron vice on her sister's hand.
"Why shouldn't I go?! I have no mother any more, and it's obvious that father hates me! And now he's replacing her, like she never existed." She screamed, but still Petra didn't let go.
"Of course he doesn't hate you! And you may not have your mother but what about your sister? Hm? Going to leave her here without you? Look, I know you're upset but you'll be fine. He'll have calmed down by the time you see him again..."
"It's alright for you!" She spat acidly, "You're his favourite little girl, the one he'd do anything for. Since you saved that whore me and Adriana have meant nothing to him!" She froze, letting Adelina shake her arm free and run. Run through the castle, the forest, to the village...
Sorry guys, I know how terrible that was, but I had to do it. Also, I didn't want to portray Vladmimr as such a backstabber and over all git, but it is in the story so i'll sob over it later. Next update might be a bit late kuz am going out on Saturday (wahoo! Freedom is in my grasp!) so might have to wait till next week. Sorry.